Wednesday, 20 August 2014

"Atlantic Soul Legends – 20 Original Albums From The Iconic Atlantic Label" by VARIOUS ARTISTS - A Review Of The 2012 20CD Mini Box Set...

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Released Monday 1
October 2012 in the UK (9 Oct 2012 in the USA) - "Atlantic Soul
Legends" is a European made Mini Box Set on WEA Music/Warner Music
France/Rhino 8122797264. It contains 20 CDs in 5" x 5" Card Sleeve
Repros with a 32-page booklet and breaks down as follows:

Subtitled
"20 Original Albums From The Iconic Atlantic Label" - they are all
pictured on the rear of the box - which in itself has a distressed look like a
worn DJ's carry case. The album sleeves follow their American releases and the
colour artwork is gorgeous to look at. A smart move in the 32-page booklet is
the reproduction of all album credits because you basically can't read the tiny
print on most of the repro rears. The front covers are also pictured in colour
at the top of each page (track details as well) and there's a 4-page
introduction (in English and French) by Christophe Geudin - Editor of the
"Funk U" magazine. His small biogs on each album are full of good
details.

SOUND:

The only
reference to mastering is a single sentence on the last page of the booklet
which states - "the best existing masters have been used for the CD
reissues included in this box set." Although I can't be sure, this
suggests 'new remastering' to me (as opposed to the early Nineties issues when
most of these titles were re-released). I'd also add that the same guy in Rhino
France who co-ordinated and researched the 2010 Donny Hathaway 4CD box set
"Someday We'll All Be Free" (which did have superb new remastering -
see separate review) is involved in this box set too - DAVID DUTREUIL. Ray
Charles, Eddie Floyd, William Bell - the sound quality is wonderful
throughout...

WHAT'S NEW:

It won't take
long for rabid Atlantic collectors to work out that the last three titles in
this box set are not just welcome additions to any Soul/Jazz collection - but
two are seeing the CD light-of-day for the first time anywhere. And what a trio
they are...

CLARENCE WHEELER
gives us Saxophone/Organ funked-up instrumentals of The Beatles' "Hey
Jude", Eddie Harris' "Sham Time" and Jack McDuff's "Theme
From Electric Surfboard". The sound quality is really muscular -
especially on "Doin' What I Wanna" where the trumpet of Sonny
Covington does battle with Wheeler on Tenor Sax. The album's other ace is the
nimble-fingers of Sonny Burke on Organ sounding like a souped-up Ramsey Lewis
on "C.W." but then smoozing it with the best lounge-lizards on
"Dream Bossa Nova". Class acts Cissy Houston and Judy Clay add their
Backing Vocals to the funky "Right On" - and on the strength of this
track alone - you can hear why this 1970 album is so sought after...

Put out by Koch
Records some years back on CD - HOWARD TATE’s self-titled LP of Southern Soul is
not commonly seen - so it's inclusion here is a clever choice. Produced by the
legendary JERRY RAGOVOY - he also contributed the lion's share of its excellent
soul songs. I'm delighted to report that its sound quality is superb too -
really clear - especially the brass that punctuates almost every track. It
opens with the funky "She's A Burglar" - and I also love "Where
Did My Baby Go" - so very Clarence Carter. The unemployment ballad
"The Bitter End" is Tate's sole self-written track on here - and is
done in a Rufus Thomas spoken style.

I'll admit the
SAM DEES album is new to me - but my God what a find! All songs are originals
or co-writes with members of his band. The opening six-minute social commentary
on drugs taking over American cities is called "Child On The Streets"
and it's fabulous. With its "Your father is a pusherman..." lyrics -
it's a sort of Norman Whitfield slow funk vibe with layered echoed vocals and
an organ sound that feels like it belongs on a Progressive Procol Harum song.
Think Rare Earth, The Undisputed Truth and psychedelic shack Temptations - and
you'll get the general idea. Then it goes into pure Eugene Record/Chi-Lites
territory with a spoken ballad - "The Show Goes On" - his vocals
beautiful. The strings, piano and soaring vocals give "Just Out Of My
Reach" a Harold Melvin/Philadelphia International feel - lovely stuff. The
funky "Claim Jumpin'" sounds like Ann Peebles done by a man - while
"Troubled Child" once again has those impassioned lyrics
("...Streets instead of a playground...") and a great melody with a
slow build.

To sum up -
"Respect" from Redding's "Otis Blue", "Chain Of
Fools" from Aretha's "Lady Soul", "The Ghetto" from
Hathaway's "Everything Is Everything" - you could go on for hours.
I'll be dipping into this for weeks.

"Atlantic
Soul Legends" is a properly brill little box set - stuffed to the gunnels
with an embarrassment of riches. And even if you know most of it - or own half
of it - there are discoveries in here you need to make. What an astonishing
label Atlantic Records was - and what a lovely way to celebrate its gigantic
Soul Music legacy...

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About Me

To date I've over 3500 posts/reviews and 80+ Listmania Lists on Amazon UK - most are for quality music CD REMASTERS and FILMS on BLU RAY.

I'm a Top 15 Reviewer on Amazon UK and have been a 'Hall Of Fame' Reviewer for some years now...

They feature recommendations from years of trawling through digipaks and flicks. I tend to highlight reissues and remasters that have slipped through the net and movies on DVD and BLU RAY that deserve your attention/reappraisal.

My music reviews are in-depth - focusing on decent remasters - interesting imports - rarities - info that helps a purchase decision etc. And I often provide a Discography for Box Sets and multiples and detailed track lists for reissues.

Loved the awesome re-issues of Steve McQueen by PREFAB SPROUT and Strangers Almanac by WHISKEYTOWN [with Ryan Adams]. The three definitive Bear Family Series - Street Corner Symphonies (1934 to 1958 Vocal Groups), Blowing The Fuse (1945 to 1960 R'n'B - most reviewed) and Sweet Soul Music (1961 to 1975 - all 15 reviewed).

Check out the beautiful Scottish Folk of Black Water by KRIS DREVER (2006) and the Sahara rocking beat of TINARIWEN'S Aman Iman - Water Is Life. 2011 saw Jethro Tull's Aqualung receive a stunning makeover by Steve Wilson of Porcupine Tree and 2012 has Just As I Am by Bill Withers be given a top remaster by Big Break Records of the UK. Loving the 2013 Japanese SHM-CD reissues of J.J. Cale and the 2012 to 2015 Japan-Only Atlantic 1000: Best R&B Collection (see Joe Turner reviews). Small Faces Here Come The Nice and The Blue Nile's Hats & Peace At Last Deluxe Editions for 2014. Digging Edsel's 4CD Box Sets For The Beat and The Sound - superb. Edsel's Wilson Pickett and Percy Sledge CD Reissues from late 2016 are also superb.

Films - The Help, Lincoln, The Bands Visit, Man On A Ledge, The Grey, Mr. Nobody, Third Star, Caramel, Easy-A, Crash, United 93, The Insider, Death To Smoochy, Babel, Kinsey, Bright Star, Stranger Than Fiction, Imagine Me & You, The Namesake, After The Wedding, Seraphim Falls, Michael Clayton, Frankie Go Boom, Infamous, Gran Torino, The Blind Side, Invictus, Crazy Heart, Ondine, Amelie, Four Lions, Young Victoria, Untouchable, Jo Nesbo's Headhunters and The Secret In Their Eyes are what's most impressed in the last while. The Shawshank Redemption is for me the greatest film ever made, Cinema Paradiso the most beautiful and Nil By Mouth the most powerful.

I've also raved about gorgeous new restorations of The Italian Job, Goldfinger, African Queen, Back To The Future, O Brother Where Art Thou?, North By Northwest, To Catch A Thief, To Kill A Mockingbird and The Sting on Blu Ray - can't recommend these enough.

I'm Irish (originally from Dublin) and married with 3 grown-up kids - one of which has autism (The Beautiful Dean).

I was a vinyl rarities buyer and put-upon expert in Reckless Records (Soho, London) for over 20 years and have contributed to many of the Record Collector Rare Record Price Guides.

Currently freelance writer/reviewer. Have written four screenplays - "The Cloths Of Heaven", "Silas", "An English Lady - The Eglantyne Jebb Story" and "Full Of Grace" which I'll discuss with Film Industry Insiders.